Justin Timberlake, ‘Drink You Away’ [Listen]
More than one country career stands to benefit from the most talked-about performance of the 2015 CMA Awards. Justin Timberlake has released “Drink You Away” as a single to country radio.
It’s a shortened version of the song Timberlake delivered on his The 20/20 Experience album in 2013. Swampy guitars and the swirl of organ dance around like wild gypsies as Timberlake sings his heartbreak story.
“Bittersweet thing, could this be a dream / Or just the same nightmare that keeps me awake / Feel it in my brain, a tall shot of pain of pain / Pour a little out now, for the love that we made,” he sings to begin the song.
Lyrically, “Drink You Away” is a straight-forward, tear-in-the-beer country song. It’s produced as a blues-pop hybrid that will fit in with (but certainly stand apart from) other songs on country radio. It’s an experimental sound to be sure.
“I can't drink you away / I've tried Jack, I've tried Jim / I've tried all of them and / I can't drink you away / All these rocks, I can't swim out of this skin I’m living in.”
Timberlake’s entrance to country music has been long-rumored, but it’s still not clear if this will lead to a more significant, all-country project. Like Kelly Clarkson, he seems to be dipping a toe into the format before deciding whether the water is warm enough for him to pull on his board shorts.
Why Fans Will Love It: It's a great way to relive Timberlake's performance with Chris Stapleton at the 2015 CMA Awards.
Key Lyrics: "I can't drink you away / I've tried Jack, I've tried Jim / I've tried all of them and / I can't drink you away."
Did You Know?: According to Ronnie Dunn, Timberlake has bought land and is building a house in the Nashville area.
Listen to Justin Timberlake, ‘Drink You Away’
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